This original Conversation that Never Happened audio dialogue between Eve and God portrays their personality traits as they appear in Genesis and a painting. In the dialogue, Eve confronts God, and much to her avail, God condemns her to journeying to the formidable underworld. A character analysis provides evidence for the traits represented in the dialogue and a dialogue analysis reveals how said traits are incorporated into the conversation that never happened. Also included in the project, “About the Artists” gives a brief history of the painters who provide insight into the characteristics of Eve and God. Finally, “Reflection” contemplates the failures and successes of the process of creating the project and the final work as a whole.
Dialogue:
Narrator: A river snakes through the Garden at Eden and forks into four branches. Trees stand there in droves. Plump grapefruits emerge from deep brown branches, stemming from a grand, enticing tree. Immediately to the left of the perennial plant, a man towers reproachfully over a young, ingenuous couple in loincloths of fig leaves, while his eyes dart between the two with a gleam of gleeful malevolence. His two serpents coil about his ankles submissively, languid smiles ever present upon their grotesque faces. After the man dismisses the youths with an upturned nose and a self-satisfied smirk, they slink away. Presently, the female timidly approaches him.
[Eve speaks in a generally meek, listless manner, while God speaks in a rather unemotional, detached manner]
Eve: Thanks, God.
God: What frivolousness shall you impede my plans with now? You formerly drove me to a souring regret of humankind's creation. What do you wish to defile in this unwelcome visit of yours?
Eve: You put the tree in the garden...
God: [amused] What is this? Do you mean to castigate ME for YOUR insubordination?
Eve: No... I wanna thank you for giving us enlightenment, even though it's bitter-sweet. I think humans are better for it. The serpent really saved us.
God: You've clearly deluded yourself. Do you think this insipid praise shall increase my regard for your futile existence? Adam has more ribs. Or perhaps you've forgotten who I am? You envisage YOU can bamboozle ME? You're attempting to one up me! You cannot gain superiority by manipulating my decrees and punishments into some ludicrous gift.
Eve: [confused] Oh... I've made you angry...
God: [indifferent] Though my creation of you and Adam in my likeness infers my brilliance, I find I have little use for you. I shall eradicate you from the gates of Eden, for you solely serve as an irksome sore on my posterior.
Eve: [Remorseful] I'm sorry, God. I try to improve myself...to be a better person. To be worthy of your love.
God: [Aside with sound effect: soft, dark music] Ha! I think its time for my serpents to play with little Eve... how fun this shall be! [Sound effect: snakes hissing softly] Look at that panic on her face... No this cannot be! [Sound effects: hissing grows loud, then stops abruptly; God speaks out loud, shrieking] You've asphyxiated my serpents!
Eve: [Astonished] What are you getting at?
God: You wretch. You sicken me. You have no right to address ME with such enmity. I created you! I can treat you as I wish, you ungrateful, insolent wretch. If you hope to gather any last remaining shred of redemption, you must travel to the Underworld, and bring me back these two snakes you murdered in malice.
[Sound Effect: walking noises]
Eve: [Aside with sound effect: soft, young music] Wow! This place is huge! I guess this must be Satan's palace. Whoa... he's intimidating.
Eve: [addressing Satan and his Queen, speaks as if asking a question] I'm here because of God...
Satan's Queen: I understand your trouble, and commend your disobedience. You may take the serpents back with you, but when they whither in age, they must return to us. The serpents will follow as you journey back to Eden, but you mustn't look back at them until you all reach the upper world. And, I warn you, don't return to the Underworld until in death.
Eve: Thanks. I promise I won't... [Sound Effect: echoing steps] I think they can't be too far behind... right? [Querulously] But why can't I HEAR them? Ughh... I can wait to check until I get back to the upper world. Finally! I'm here! [Pause, as she looks over her shoulder] No! They're gone!
Eve: [In panic] I can't go back again! Where should I go? I have nowhere I can go to escape! I'll run as far away from Eden as possible. Adam will be fine... I just have to-
God: Eve! Is that you?
Eve: [resigned] Yes...
God: And where are my serpents?
Eve: uhh.. well... see what happened was that-
God: You worthless carcass!
Eve: [Apprehensively] You look angry... No! Please! You're choking me! [Sound effect: gurgling and choking noises]
God: [Livid] You herd of sores and infection! You putrid boil! I needed those serpents, my scourges, symbols of my immortal power...my sole companions!
[Choking noises continue, and grow defining. Eve makes panicked noises, until all sounds begin to fade and her life begins to slip away]
Frog: [Sound effect: frog croaking] If you let her die, then you are acknowledging your failure in creating humans.
[Choking noises continue, then stop abruptly; Sound Effect: a thud as God casts Eve aside with disgust]
Eve: [Incredulous, hoarse] How dare you!
God: [disgusted] I have chosen your path. You and Adam shall be expelled from Eden, and will receive no attention from me again. You humans are not worthy of my regard, whether it be good or bad. You're so far beneath me, you don't even deserve the torture I could bring you, because that would necessitate my acknowledgement of your existence.
Narrator: God retrieves Adam and ejects him and Eve from the Garden at Eden. Eve walks in tatters with a look of resolve and contempt upon her face, while Adam stupidly stumbles behind in confusion.
About the Artists:
Lucas Cranach der Altere , known as “Lucas Cranach the Elder,” survived by means of painting and printmaking during the Renaissance, having earned the esteem of being counted
Lucas Cranach the Elder Self Portrait (1550)
among the most eminent and influential artists in German art of the 16th century. Known for his portraits, landscapes, and representations of biblical stories, he committed to portraying the Catholic tradition and Lutheran subjects through his art. Altere eventually became recognized as the capital propagandist of Protestants through art. He received training from his father in the arts in his earlier years, later working as a court painter in Wittenberg to Fredrick the Wise, John the Constant, and John Frederick the Magnanimous. Marrying Barbra Brengbier of Gotha, Altere fathered three daughters and two sons; his two sons, Hans and Lucas the Younger, succeeded Altere as influential artists of the same style.
Paul Gauguin , born in Paris, France in 1848, abandoned his business at the age of 35 to pursue his lifelong dream of painting, providing for himself and his eldest son, Clovis, by attaching advertisements to the walls of the city. Gauguin applied the style synthetism to his paintings, feeling that colors, defined outlines, and symbolism better serve to express humanity’s nature, as opposed to the popular cosmopolitan style in Paris. Gauguin left Europe to reside in Tahiti, where the beautiful people, bright colors, and lack of Western civilization inspired several innovative and celebrated paintings. Among his most famous paintings exist Vision after the Sermon/Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (1888) and Yellow Christ (1889), in which Gauguin perverts events and objects from the customary context. Gauguin’s mysterious paintings and avant-garde couplings of objects and people acts as predecessors to surrealist artwork, accounting for his high regard as a founder of modern-day art.
Paul Gauguin Self Portrait
Character Analysis:
God's aloofness when interacting with his creations leads to him developing an imperious nature, which contributes to his apparent sadistic disposition.
In The Garden of Eden, by
The Garden of Eden by Lucas Cranach der Altere
Lucas Cranach der Altere, God stands clad in luxurious robes before contrite Adam and Eve who dress in mere loincloths. God's dismissive flourish and inclined head couple to convey God's eminence; his head imparts his misconception of superiority over the humans, and his sharp pointing digit indicates his disdainful regard of the humans, as conveyed by his wishes to rid them from his sight. This aloofness engenders his disregard for human life, perpetuating his delusions of grandeur. Thus, God constructs a relationship between himself and the humans in which he may behave toward them as he wishes, which inevitably grants him the right to justify his countless deporable actions, the most notorious being the incessant rain he conjured up to wipe out all living creatures on earth, aside from those in Noah's ark. When this mass extermination goes without a hitch, God realizes that no matter his actions, no consequences will transpire, further inflating his imperious ego. When God observes the loincloths clinging to Adam and Eve's waists, he bids them divulge who betrayed to them that they were naked. Presently he realizes they had disobeyed his request to abstain from tasting the fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and questions, "'Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?'" (Gen. 3.11). When God applies "commanded," one may deduce that he has assumed unqualified authority; thus, all must obey in full his every order, without objection. From this inability to dispute his whims, God is in danger of committing countless mistakes because he has fostered the supercilious belief that he has infallible judgement. He cannot fathom that he may make better decisions with input from humans. Soon God's imperiousness culminates in the disturbing sadism that becomes obvious through his doings at Sodom and Gomorrah. When Abraham learns of God's plan to massacre all in the cities, regardless of the people's individual deeds, Abraham's horror mirror that of the reader; as Abraham chastises God, he claims, "'Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?'" (Gen. 18.25). Playing "Judge" of the earth enables God to punish people as he wishes without the need for pesky justification, because he has no one to answer to; with this out of the way, God may control his victims absolutely, a major advantage for those wanting to act sadistically. Moreover God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals no true underlying motivation, other than the peoples' "sins" agains him. Revenge can arouse sadism, and through God's choice to murder all of the people, rather than just the sinners, one may conclude that God has engineered a mass murder as his grotesque form of catharsis. Through this sickening revelation, one may presume God's intentions when he created Adam and Eve; God created humankind so he could gain the control that he craves, and derive pleasure from exercising such control.
Eve’s bashfulness upon consuming the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil conveys her wisdom, which becomes more clearly illustrated through her justificationof eating from the tree. Paul Gauguin inserts Adam and Eve in a vibrant scene, and angles them away from each other, in his painting, Adam and Eve. Eve’s slanted stance and down turned face after apprehending her naked appearance shows her modesty because she can no longer linger in the presence of her husband in that state; however, her head also projects despondency because she no longer may bask in the lighthearted freedom of ignorance. Eve’s timid disposition and despondency show her sagacity because she now realizes that she is not in control of her own destiny. Rather, she and Adam are at God’s whim. Eve realizes God’s malevolence, which leads her to lie to him. When God rants about Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and demands explanation, Eve craftily replies, “‘the serpent tricked me, and I ate’” (Gen. 3.13). Eve’s utilization of “tricked” implies that the serpent mislead her, though the serpent simply stated truth; thus, one may conclude that Eve comprehends that sharing the blame will lessen her own punishment, a reasonable assumption. This monumental event in Eve’s life also implies her realization of God’s misanthropic tendencies; otherwise, she would not have feared punishment, and would have told the truth. This singular lie exemplifies the strained relationship between God and humankind; it also may hint at God’s motivation for wiping out humans by flood, because Eve’s offspring would also have inherited the ability to tell good from evil, and thus might look upon God unkindly.
Adam and Eve by Paul Gauguin
Dialogue Analysis:
When Eve meets God, succeeding his castigation, their discussion throws light upon Eve’s wise but bashful constitution. When Eve approaches God, she timorously shows gratitude for God’s setting the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Eden, crediting him, “‘I wanna thank you for giving us enlightenment, even though it’s bitter-sweet. I think humans are better for it” (Strassle 1). Eve’s application of “bitter-sweet” indicates her grasp that living with her new profound knowledge serves as both a blessing and a curse; with her new knowledge comes responsibility and a loss of comforting ignorance. Eve’s capacity for appreciating the weightiness of heracquisition demonstrates the wisdom of her character. That she proceeds to assert that humans are improved by comprehending good and evil also reveals her depth of understanding, as only sentient beings can make choices. Contrarily, when God chastises Eve and threatens to discharge her from Eden, she responds contritely, “‘I try to improve myself…to be a better person. To be worthy of your love’” (Strassle 2). Through her usage of “worthy” one may conclude that Eve yearns for God’s approval because attempting to appease God’s dogma acts as the motivation that drives her spirit. As a result of this craving for confirmation, Eve betrays her lack of self-assurance because she must receive such from an exterior source. Eve’s bashful and self-conscious, disposition thus becomes known; this character flaw inevitably allows Eve to empower God’s abusive behavior as he makes an attempt at her life. Her delusion of being ignoble and contemptible causes her to acquiesce to the expedition of traveling to the underworld.
Reflection: Throughout the completion of this project, I encountered difficulties and triumphs alike. The foundation for my project, which consisted of selecting my characters, compiling evidence, and drafting my character analysis, progressed smoothly. I met with trouble in the later sections of my project. I had difficulties coming up with anything to write about, and using the audacity program. To overcome these obstacles, I decided to write a parallel to Greek mythology and to use garage band, which unfortunately took a very long time to record. Through the project I practiced the characterization techniques that we have been using this year in English.
Because I had to pick character traits and convey them through my writing, it should be easier in the future to identify character development techniques in someone else’s writing, as well as make my own writing more sophisticated. I needed to assure I didn’t break character and think about what I was trying to convey to the reader. Furthermore, I learned how to use new software program. If I could do the project over again, I would probably write a more unusual, original script. Aside from that, I’m pretty proud of the work I’ve done.
Grapefruits Contain More Sugar than Apples
By C. Strassle
Introduction:
Dialogue:
Narrator: A river snakes through the Garden at Eden and forks into four branches. Trees stand there in droves. Plump grapefruits emerge from deep brown branches, stemming from a grand, enticing tree. Immediately to the left of the perennial plant, a man towers reproachfully over a young, ingenuous couple in loincloths of fig leaves, while his eyes dart between the two with a gleam of gleeful malevolence. His two serpents coil about his ankles submissively, languid smiles ever present upon their grotesque faces. After the man dismisses the youths with an upturned nose and a self-satisfied smirk, they slink away. Presently, the female timidly approaches him.[Eve speaks in a generally meek, listless manner, while God speaks in a rather unemotional, detached manner]
Eve: Thanks, God.
God: What frivolousness shall you impede my plans with now? You formerly drove me to a souring regret of humankind's creation. What do you wish to defile in this unwelcome visit of yours?
Eve: You put the tree in the garden...
God: [amused] What is this? Do you mean to castigate ME for YOUR insubordination?
Eve: No... I wanna thank you for giving us enlightenment, even though it's bitter-sweet. I think humans are better for it. The serpent really saved us.
God: You've clearly deluded yourself. Do you think this insipid praise shall increase my regard for your futile existence? Adam has more ribs. Or perhaps you've forgotten who I am? You envisage YOU can bamboozle ME? You're attempting to one up me! You cannot gain superiority by manipulating my decrees and punishments into some ludicrous gift.
Eve: [confused] Oh... I've made you angry...
God: [indifferent] Though my creation of you and Adam in my likeness infers my brilliance, I find I have little use for you. I shall eradicate you from the gates of Eden, for you solely serve as an irksome sore on my posterior.
Eve: [Remorseful] I'm sorry, God. I try to improve myself...to be a better person. To be worthy of your love.
God: [Aside with sound effect: soft, dark music] Ha! I think its time for my serpents to play with little Eve... how fun this shall be! [Sound effect: snakes hissing softly] Look at that panic on her face... No this cannot be! [Sound effects: hissing grows loud, then stops abruptly; God speaks out loud, shrieking] You've asphyxiated my serpents!
Eve: [Astonished] What are you getting at?
God: You wretch. You sicken me. You have no right to address ME with such enmity. I created you! I can treat you as I wish, you ungrateful, insolent wretch. If you hope to gather any last remaining shred of redemption, you must travel to the Underworld, and bring me back these two snakes you murdered in malice.
[Sound Effect: walking noises]
Eve: [Aside with sound effect: soft, young music] Wow! This place is huge! I guess this must be Satan's palace. Whoa... he's intimidating.
Eve: [addressing Satan and his Queen, speaks as if asking a question] I'm here because of God...
Eve: Thanks. I promise I won't... [Sound Effect: echoing steps] I think they can't be too far behind... right? [Querulously] But why can't I HEAR them? Ughh... I can wait to check until I get back to the upper world. Finally! I'm here! [Pause, as she looks over her shoulder] No! They're gone!
Eve: [In panic] I can't go back again! Where should I go? I have nowhere I can go to escape! I'll run as far away from Eden as possible. Adam will be fine... I just have to-
God: Eve! Is that you?
Eve: [resigned] Yes...
God: And where are my serpents?
Eve: uhh.. well... see what happened was that-
God: You worthless carcass!
Eve: [Apprehensively] You look angry... No! Please! You're choking me! [Sound effect: gurgling and choking noises]
God: [Livid] You herd of sores and infection! You putrid boil! I needed those serpents, my scourges, symbols of my immortal power...my sole companions!
[Choking noises continue, and grow defining. Eve makes panicked noises, until all sounds begin to fade and her life begins to slip away]
Frog: [Sound effect: frog croaking] If you let her die, then you are acknowledging your failure in creating humans.[Choking noises continue, then stop abruptly; Sound Effect: a thud as God casts Eve aside with disgust]
Eve: [Incredulous, hoarse] How dare you!
God: [disgusted] I have chosen your path. You and Adam shall be expelled from Eden, and will receive no attention from me again. You humans are not worthy of my regard, whether it be good or bad. You're so far beneath me, you don't even deserve the torture I could bring you, because that would necessitate my acknowledgement of your existence.
Narrator: God retrieves Adam and ejects him and Eve from the Garden at Eden. Eve walks in tatters with a look of resolve and contempt upon her face, while Adam stupidly stumbles behind in confusion.
About the Artists:
Lucas Cranach der Altere , known as “Lucas Cranach the Elder,” survived by means of painting and printmaking during the Renaissance, having earned the esteem of being countedPaul Gauguin , born in Paris, France in 1848, abandoned his business at the age of 35 to pursue his lifelong dream of painting, providing for himself and his eldest son, Clovis, by attaching advertisements to the walls of the city. Gauguin applied the style synthetism to his paintings, feeling that colors, defined outlines, and symbolism better serve to express humanity’s nature, as opposed to the popular cosmopolitan style in Paris. Gauguin left Europe to reside in Tahiti, where the beautiful people, bright colors, and lack of Western civilization inspired several innovative and celebrated paintings. Among his most famous paintings exist Vision after the Sermon/Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (1888) and Yellow Christ (1889), in which Gauguin perverts events and objects from the customary context. Gauguin’s mysterious paintings and avant-garde couplings of objects and people acts as predecessors to surrealist artwork, accounting for his high regard as a founder of modern-day art.
Paul Gauguin Self Portrait
Character Analysis:
God's aloofness when interacting with his creations leads to him developing an imperious nature, which contributes to his apparent sadistic disposition.In The Garden of Eden, by
Eve’s bashfulness upon consuming the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil conveys her wisdom, which becomes more clearly illustrated through her justificationof eating from the tree. Paul Gauguin inserts Adam and Eve in a vibrant scene, and angles them away from each other, in his painting, Adam and Eve. Eve’s slanted stance and down turned face after apprehending her naked appearance shows her modesty because she can no longer linger in the presence of her husband in that state; however, her head also projects despondency because she no longer may bask in the lighthearted freedom of ignorance. Eve’s timid disposition and despondency show her sagacity because she now realizes that she is not in control of her own destiny. Rather, she and Adam are at God’s whim. Eve realizes God’s malevolence, which leads her to lie to him. When God rants about Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and demands explanation, Eve craftily replies, “‘the serpent tricked me, and I ate’” (Gen. 3.13). Eve’s utilization of “tricked” implies that the serpent mislead her, though the serpent simply stated truth; thus, one may conclude that Eve comprehends that sharing the blame will lessen her own punishment, a reasonable assumption. This monumental event in Eve’s life also implies her realization of God’s misanthropic tendencies; otherwise, she would not have feared punishment, and would have told the truth. This singular lie exemplifies the strained relationship between God and humankind; it also may hint at God’s motivation for wiping out humans by flood, because Eve’s offspring would also have inherited the ability to tell good from evil, and thus might look upon God unkindly.
Dialogue Analysis:
When Eve meets God, succeeding his castigation, their discussion throws light upon Eve’s wise but bashful constitution. When Eve approaches God, she timorously shows gratitude for God’s setting the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Eden, crediting him, “‘I wanna thank you for giving us enlightenment, even though it’s bitter-sweet. I think humans are better for it” (Strassle 1). Eve’s application of “bitter-sweet” indicates her grasp that living with her new profound knowledge servesReflection: Throughout the completion of this project, I encountered difficulties and triumphs alike. The foundation for my project, which consisted of selecting my characters, compiling evidence, and drafting my character analysis, progressed smoothly. I met with trouble in the later sections of my project. I had difficulties coming up with anything to write about, and using the audacity program. To overcome these obstacles, I decided to write a parallel to Greek mythology and to use garage band, which unfortunately took a very long time to record. Through the project I practiced the characterization techniques that we have been using this year in English.
Because I had to pick character traits and convey them through my writing, it should be easier in the future to identify character development techniques in someone else’s writing, as well as make my own writing more sophisticated. I needed to assure I didn’t break character and think about what I was trying to convey to the reader. Furthermore, I learned how to use new software program. If I could do the project over again, I would probably write a more unusual, original script. Aside from that, I’m pretty proud of the work I’ve done.
Sources Cited:
"Artist Self-Portraits in the Uffizi Collection." Paradoxplace. Adrian Fletcher, 2000-2010. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Montages/Firenze/Self%20Portraits.htm>."Fruit Quiz." <http://www.oapb.cz/skolst/projekt2009/anj/food/fruit.htm>.
Goodrich, David, et al. "Podcasting Toolkit." Office of Academic Technology Spring Arbor University. N.p., 3 Nov. 2009. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://sites.arbor.edu/oat/2009/11/03/podcasting-toolkit/>.
Keehn, Michael H. "Dogbert Wisdom." Cartoon. Minuteman Page. Michael Keehn, 14 May 2010. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://mhkeehn.tripod.com/>.
"Lucas Cranach the Elder." Answers.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.answers.com/topic/lucas-cranach-the-elder>.
"Lucas Cranach, the Elder." Britannica Online Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/141704/Lucas-Cranach-the-Elder>.
Meyers, Dev. "The Garden of Eden Persian Gulf Bahrain Iran Jerusalem We've got to get back to the garden YouTube." World History Examiner. N.p., 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-25600-World-History-Examiner~y2009m10d14-The-Garden-of-Eden-Persian-Gulf-Bahrain-Iran-Jerusalem-Weve-got-to-get-back-to-the-garden-YouTube>.
" Paul Gauguin. Adam and Eve. 1902. Oil on canvas. Art Museum Ordrupgard, Copenhagen, Denmark." Olga's Gallery. N.p., 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://www.abcgallery.com/G/gauguin/gauguin132.html>.
"Paul Gauguin." Encyclopedia of World Biography. JRank, 2010. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Fi-Gi/Gauguin-Paul.html>.
Ribeiro, Luisa. "Referênicas Visuais - Exercício 3 - Auto-retratos." diário de bordo de oficina multimédia_b. Wordpress, Nov. 2009. Web. 8 May. 2010.
<http://luisaribeiro.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/referencias-visuais-exercicio-3/>.
Spritzophrenia. "Satan Replies." Spritzophrenia. Wordpress, 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://spritzophrenia.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/satan-replies/>.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible. 1973. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2007. Print.
"The Serpent's Lie." Child Bible Story Online. N.p., 1997. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.childrenstory.info/biblestoryforchild/chdbbltheserpentlie.html>.
Wilson, Tracy V. "How Frogs Work." howstuffworks. N.p., 1998-2010. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/amphibians/frog.htm>.